Last Updated on June 9, 2021 5:53 pm
Join the Town of Boone and The Appalachian Theatre of the High Country on Friday, June 18, at 7:00 p.m. as we celebrate Doc Watson Day 2021. This year’s event will be a free, livestreamed concert from the Appalachian Theatre in Downtown Boone. It will feature hosts Patrick and Kay Crouch, a video montage with greetings and pre-recorded performances from some of Doc’s friends and protégés, and a live concert with The Burnett Sisters Band & Colin Ray, followed by Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road. The livestream will be viewable on the Appalachian Theatre website. https://www.apptheatre.org/
In 2011, a life-sized bronze statue of Doc was unveiled in downtown Boone, on the corner of W. King St. and N. Depot St. When asked about the idea of a statue of his likeness being installed in downtown Boone, Doc said it would be okay, as long as a plaque accompanied it, reading, “Just one of the people.” On the day the statue was unveiled, then-Mayor Loretta Clawson decreed the third Friday in June as Doc Watson Day. Since that first year, the Town of Boone has celebrated his memory and influence with a free concert. This will be the first collaboration between the Town of Boone and The Appalachian Theatre for Doc Watson Day.
The mission of the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country is to revitalize and sustain this historic community touchstone as a quality home for diverse artists and audiences with a special focus on programs that celebrate our distinctive Appalachian heritage and enhance our capacity to serve as an economic catalyst for Boone and the High Country. For more information on upcoming events and performances at the Appalachian Theatre, please visit https://www.apptheatre.org/
The Doc Watson Day celebration has traditionally been a part of the Town of Boone’s Summer Concerts at the Jones House, which will resume in-person on Friday, July 9. Concerts featuring local and regional artists will be held weekly at the Jones House in downtown Boone on Fridays starting at 5:00 p.m. throughout July and August, concluding the series on September 3. For more information about Summer Concerts at the Jones House, visit www.joneshouse.org or call (828) 262-6280.